2 minute read
Image: US Space Force
July 2, 2025
The Strategic Stakes of the ESS Decision
This white paper by SMA CEO Ajay Patel examines the far-reaching implications of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) program. ESS is not a routine modernization effort; it represents the future of nuclear-survivable, jam-resistant strategic communications—the “quiet fourth leg” underpinning the nation’s deterrence architecture.
Drawing on over four decades of investment and operational history in protected MILSATCOM systems such as FLTSATCOM, MILSTAR, and AEHF, the paper argues that ESS is a defining franchise decision that will shape leadership in protected satellite communications through 2050 and beyond. Patel outlines how the ESS competition places Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing in a rare head-to-head contest, each bringing a distinct industrial culture and strategic vision to the table.
The analysis highlights what is truly at stake: control of mission architecture, long-term affordability and resilience, preservation of critical industrial capabilities, and sustained customer trust in crisis-critical systems. Ultimately, the ESS decision is framed as a generational inflection point—one that will determine not just who builds the satellites, but who owns the future of assured strategic communications.
Download the full PDF to explore the complete analysis, strategic context, and competitive implications of the ESS decision in depth.
Posted on July 2, 2025, by
Dick Eassom, CF APMP Fellow, SMA, Inc.
